SMART CABLE SYSTEM FOR A TRUCK TRAILER
A cable system for a truck trailer with connectors having a main power connection, a ground connection, and one, two, or more communication cable connections. Connectors include at least a power and ground connection for electrically connecting an individual trailer to the cable system. A master control circuit may be included in the trailer nosebox, and the master control circuit configured to send commands to slave control circuits mounted within the connectors. The slave control circuits in the connectors are configured to receive a control command sent by the master control circuit that may include an address, mode identifiers, or other indications of which connectors in the cable system should take action, and what actions should be taken.
1 - 26 . (canceled)
27 . A cable system for a trailer, comprising:
at least one communication cable mounted to the trailer;
a master control circuit that is electrically connected to multiple power terminals of a truck tractor and the at least one communication cable, wherein the master control circuit is configured to generate control commands; and
at least one trailer component electrically connected to the master control circuit via the at least one communication cable and to at least one of the multiple power terminals, the at least one trailer component including a slave control circuit that is configured to receive the control commands sent by the master control circuit and to selectively control the at least one trailer component according to the control commands;
wherein the master control circuit is configured to send the control commands to the at least one trailer component via the at least one communication cable;
wherein the slave control circuit stores both an address uniquely identifying the slave control circuit and a mode identifier specifying one or more operating modes the slave control circuit is configured to respond to,
wherein the control commands sent by the master control circuit include a target address and a target mode identifier, and
wherein the slave control circuit is configured to:
compare the target address in the control commands with the address of the slave control circuit and activate the at least one trailer component when the target address matches the address of the slave control circuit, and
compare the target mode identifier in the control commands with the mode identifier of the slave control circuit and activate the at least one trailer component when the target mode identifier matches the mode identifier of the slave control circuit.
28 . The cable system of claim 27 , wherein the slave control circuit is configured to activate the at least one trailer component when either the target address matches the address of the slave control circuit or the target mode identifier matches the mode identifier of the slave control circuit.
29 . The cable system of claim 27 , further comprising at least one trailer component connector that is electrically connected to the at least one communication cable and to at least one of the multiple power terminals, wherein the at least one trailer component is electrically connected to the at least one trailer component connector, and wherein the slave control circuit is included in the at least one trailer component connector.
30 . The cable system of claim 27 , wherein the at least one trailer component comprises:
a first trailer component including a first slave control circuit storing a first address and a first mode identifier; and
a second trailer component including a second slave control circuit storing a second address and a second mode identifier,
wherein the first address is different from the second address.
31 . The cable system of claim 30 , wherein the first mode identifier and the second mode identifier are the same.
32 . The cable system of claim 30 , wherein the master control circuit is configured to generate a control command that includes both the first address and the second address, and wherein both the first slave control circuit and the second slave control circuit are configured to activate the first trailer component and the second trailer component, respectively, in response to the control command.
33 . The cable system of claim 30 , wherein the master control circuit is configured to generate a control command that includes the first address and does not include the second address, and wherein the first slave control circuit is configured to activate the first trailer component in response to the control command, and wherein the second slave control circuit does not activate the second trailer component in response to the control command.
34 . The cable system of claim 30 , wherein the first mode identifier and the second mode identifier are the same, and wherein the master control circuit is configured to generate a control command that includes the first address and a target mode identifier matching both the first mode identifier and the second mode identifier, and wherein both the first slave control circuit and the second slave control circuit are configured to activate the first trailer component and the second trailer component, respectively, in response to the control command.
35 . The cable system of claim 30 , wherein the master control circuit is configured to generate a control command that includes both the first address and the second address, and a target mode identifier that does not match the first mode identifier and does not match the second mode identifier, and wherein both the first slave control circuit and the second slave control circuit are configured to activate the first trailer component and the second trailer component, respectively, in response to the control command based on the first address matching and the second address matching.
36 . The cable system of claim 29 , wherein the at least one trailer component connector includes:
an address interface configured to receive the address of the slave control circuit from a remote device;
a mode interface configured to receive the mode identifier of the slave control circuit from the remote device; and
a memory configured to store the address of the slave control circuit and the mode identifier of the slave control circuit.
37 . The cable system of claim 29 , wherein the slave control circuit includes multiple dual position switches, wherein a first set of the multiple dual position switches defines the address of the slave control circuit and a second set of the multiple dual position switches defines the mode identifier of the slave control circuit.
38 . The cable system of claim 27 , wherein the master control circuit is mounted in a nosebox of the trailer.
39 . The cable system of claim 27 , wherein the master control circuit includes:
a master microcontroller; and
a master transceiver electrically connected to the master microcontroller and to the at least one communication cable.
40 . The cable system of claim 39 , wherein the slave control circuit includes:
a slave microcontroller; and
a slave transceiver electrically connected to the slave microcontroller and to the at least one communication cable.
41 . The cable system of claim 27 , wherein the master control circuit includes a Control Area Network (CAN) controller electrically connected to the at least one communication cable, and/or wherein the slave control circuit includes a slave CAN controller, and wherein the master control circuit and the slave control circuit communicate using a CAN protocol.
42 . The cable system of claim 27 , wherein the master control circuit includes a Local Interconnect Network (LIN) controller electrically connected to the at least one communication cable, and/or wherein the slave control circuit includes a slave LIN controller, and wherein the master control circuit and the slave control circuit communicate using a LIN protocol.
43 . The cable system of claim 27 , wherein the at least one trailer component includes a lamp mounted to the trailer, and wherein the master control circuit is configured to send a control command activating the lamp when power is detected on at least one of the multiple power terminals.
44 . The cable system of claim 27 , further comprising a power cable and a ground cable mounted to the trailer, wherein the master control circuit is electrically connected to the power cable and the ground cable, and wherein the at least one trailer component is electrically connected to the power cable and the ground cable.
45 . The cable system of claim 44 , wherein the master control circuit is configured to generate the control commands based on power received via the multiple power terminals.
46 . The cable system of claim 44 , wherein the slave control circuit is configured to electrically connect the at least one trailer component to the power cable to activate the at least one trailer component, and to electrically disconnect the at least one trailer component from the power cable to deactivate the at least one trailer component.
47 . The cable system of claim 27 , wherein the master control circuit includes:
an address map specifying relationships between different control inputs and component addresses to activate for each input; and
a mode map specifying relationships between different control inputs and modes corresponding to each input.
48 . The cable system of claim 27 , wherein the master control circuit is configured to determine an operational status of the at least one trailer component.
49 . The cable system of claim 27 , wherein the slave control circuit is partially or fully contained within a unitary molded structure.